Supporters eat gari three times a day

Ghanaian supporters who came to Mali on the ticket of the Sports Supporters Of Ghana (SSOG) under the leadership of Mr James Yalley feed on gari and shito three times a day.

Mr Yalley told the GNA Sports at their residence at the former Ghana Embassy at Badalabougou, Bamako, that he could not afford any other meal for the group and himself because he had to foot all the bills to get the supporters to Mali.

He said he told them in Accra before departure that the trip was going to be a very difficult one as he could not get any sponsors to support them. The supporters' leader said based on his thin resources and his determination to make the supporters available to the Black Stars, he bought enough gari and shito for the trip and prepared the minds of his group towards it.

Mr Yalley said he was offered a bus by the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) but was asked to fuel it for the round trip and he is doing that through his own resources.

A female member of the group who craved for anonymity said though it is very difficult to eat gari three times a day, she is pleased to be part of the team and that it has given her the opportunity to know Burkina Faso and Mali.

She said Mr Yalley has been very nice to all of them as he shares in their sadness and joy. "When we eat gari he also eats gari. He joins in prayers every day and he does not go out and leave us to our fate. He keeps assuring us that our support would help the Black Stars to win the cup and we shall be given the due recognition when we return to Accra," she said.

Though the two groups of supporters have merged into a formidable cheer group for the Stars and are accommodated in the same building, they feed separately as members of the group under "One Man Supporter," Abraham Boakye receive allowances of 2,000 CFA a day each to fend for themselves.

Sometimes however, some of those who went on the ticket of Boakye could be seen sharing the gari with their friends from Mr Yalley's group.